(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mold for molding an electric wire protection cap for manufacturing the electric wire protection cap made of synthetic resin, which protects a joint part of electric wires in a wiring harness and so on from the outside.
(2) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 shows an example of a conventional electric wire protection cap (referring to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-22847; pages 3-4 and FIG. 1).
An electric wire protection cap 61 is for insulating and waterproof-protecting a joint part 66 of electric wires 67 in a wiring harness. The electric wire protection cap 61 is made of synthetic resin and integrally includes a cap body 62 having a bottom and a plurality of flexible locking lances 63 arranged in the cap body 62.
Upon molding of the resin, each locking lances 63 is projectingly formed outward from an open end 64 of the cap body 62 through a thin hinge 65 and after the molding each locking lances 63 is folded back into the inside of the cap body 62. Such a procedure is needed for enabling a mold release upon molding of the locking lances 63.
Insulating coatings of ends of a plurality of electric wires 67 are stripped off so as to expose core wires and the core wires are crimped by a sleeve made of electrically conductive metal, thereby forming the joint part 66. An end of the locking lance 63 abuts against a rear end of the sleeve so as to prevent the joint part 66 from coming out.
In a conventional process for molding the electric wire protection cap 61, a ring-shaped gap for forming the cap body 62 is formed between molds situated top and bottom, a short gap for forming a thin hinge 65 and a rectangular recess for forming a plurality of the locking lances are continuously formed continuing to the ring-shaped gap outside the cap body 62, then molten resin is injected into between the molds and the resin is solidified and then, the molds are parted from each other so that the molded electric wire protection cap is taken out.
However, in the conventional process for molding the electric wire protection cap 61 as described above, since the locking lances 63 are folded back after the molding, strength of the thin hinge 65 might be deteriorated, labor and man-hour is needed, and the thin hinge 65 is hardly filled with the molten resin upon the molding, resulting in that the strength of the hinge 65 might be deteriorated.